How much student loan debt is too much?

If you graduated from college this past spring, you’re part of the most indebted graduating class ever.

According to a government data analysis by financial aid experts at Edvisors, the class of 2014 graduated with an average student loan debt of $33,000. As the Wall Street Journal points out, “Even after adjusting for inflation, that’s nearly double the amount borrowers had to pay back 20 years ago.”

Can we place a specific number on it?

You may have wondered: Is there a career that pays so highly that a six-figure student loan debt is not too high?

Maybe a few, but most careers can’t justify the expense for graduates, according to senior vice president and publisher of Edvisors Mark Kantrowitz, who runs a few websites about paying and planning for college.

“Six-figure debt is clearly too much debt because very few college grads earn enough money to pay it back with just a bachelor’s degree,” said Kantrowitz, whose team put together the numbers for six-figure student loan debt, published in MarketWatch.

“Less than one percent graduate with that much debt. It’s much more common among law and medical students, where about half of lawyers and doctors graduate with six-figure debt. Then again, many of them will be earning more money than their debt and can pay it back in 10 years or less.”

So, instead of an all-encompassing number, it comes down to how much money you’re bound to earn as an individual. Figuring that out while still in school may be difficult but it can be done.

How to determine how much is too much

Mallory Bayers, a 2013 music business graduate from Full Sail University, accrued $85,000 in student loan debt. Her monthly loan payments started at $900, but she had them reduced to $55.

“If I were in debt for half as much, I would still say it was too much debt,” said Bayers, who works at a restaurant in Austin, Texas and can barely afford bills each month. “It’s going to take half my life to pay all this money back for a degree I haven’t exactly put to work yet.”

Avoiding situations like these may require determining how much is too much ahead of time and not exceeding that amount.

Many colleges have student loan calculators on their websites. You may also figure it out through sites like Federal Student Aid at StudentLoans.gov and FinAid.org. You’ll need to know how much tuition and fees cost and how long it will take to complete your degree, keeping in mind the possibility of those numbers increasing each year.

Once you calculate how much your degree will probably cost, and research the average salary of your intended career field, you can determine how much student loan debt is too much.

“So long as your total debt at graduation is less than your annual starting salary, you should be able to pay your student loans back in 10 years or less and comfortably,” Kantrowitz said. “When you stretch it out beyond 10 years, it can start having an impact on other life events, like paying for your children to go to college.”

How to reduce your student loan debt

Though Bayers thought college was an incredible experience, she still can’t afford things like vacation. For this, she’d change some things if she could go back in time.

“I would have educated myself on student loans for sure,” Bayers said. “I only applied for one scholarship when I know I could’ve applied for a lot more. I also would have applied for some internships while I was still in school. Oops.”

It’s not too late for you if you’re still in college. To reduce your student loan debt, there are various things you can do:

Apply for scholarships, through sites like Scholarships.com and FastWeb.com and through your school

Fill out the FAFSA, since you may qualify for grants

See if your church, club or organization you’re involved with offer scholarships or grants

Pay as much out of pocket toward college that you can, by working part-time

Graduate faster, to avoid less semester fees

Though no all-encompassing number exists, you can figure out how much student loan debt is too much for yourself with a little bit of research and a calculator. Don’t skip those steps.

Your financial future is at stake.

Jon Fortenbury is an Austin-based freelance writer who covers higher education, health and Austin. He’s been published by the likes of the Huffington Post and TheAtlantic.com and is a featured contributor to Schools.com. Follow him on Twitter @JonWrites.